Pittsburgh Deputy Controller Rachael Heisler on Wednesday formally announced her candidacy for the city’s top fiscal watchdog position.
Heisler is looking to take the seat being vacated by her boss, City Controller Michael Lamb, who is running for Allegheny County executive.
The Pittsburgh Union Progress reported last month that Heisler intended to run.
Prior to her January 2021 appointment as Lamb’s deputy, Heisler worked as a senior adviser at the Washington, D.C.-based Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. She was also a staff member for former U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire and worked on Sen. Bob Casey’s inaugural U.S. Senate campaign.
“I am passionate about good government and welcome the opportunity to improve how things get done,” Heisler said in a news release. “I am a problem-solver and pledge to work daily to ensure city residents have the best possible experience with their local government.”
Heisler, a Central North Side resident, serves on the boards of the Northside Food Pantry Advisors, the Allegheny YMCA, Cafe Momentum Pittsburgh, and the Allegheny City Central Association, according to her campaign.
She is also the chair of city’s 22nd Ward Democratic Committee, a Wechsler Fellow with the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and a community ambassador for the U.S. Navy.
Heisler is not alone in seeking the Democratic nomination for city controller. Former acting Allegheny County controller Tracy Royston is also running.
City controller is one of two independently elected citywide seats and is not term limited.
The office produces the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and audits the city’s Urban Redevelopment Authority, Pittsburgh Parking Authority, Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, and the Pittsburgh Housing Authority, which all maintain independent budgets.
The office is also responsible for several performance audits of various city departments, now including the Bureau of Police, a requirement of a referendum passed by Pittsburgh residents in November 2020.
